San Paolo Palace Hotel

The staff are friendly and try to make guests’ stays easier, but that doesn’t make up for the state of the place. It feels very run-down, and I can’t see how it earned four stars. The bathrooms were practically spotless, but there was hair in the bathtub drains and sink, and sand left on the floor from previous guests. The location isn’t great either. If you can, avoid this hotel, or arrive expecting two stars at most.

For a trip by car, this hotel offers good value, especially because the free parking is easy to get to before Palermo’s traffic builds up. We drove farther out with our rental car and walked or took the bus into the center. The hotel is east of the city center beside a large truck terminal, but it’s still an easy enough walk or bus ride into town. It’s an old hotel, a bit shabby outside, but our room was clean and functional, with adjustable air conditioning. The rooftop pool was exceptionally small. Breakfast is served on the 14th floor, which can be awkward to reach by lift at breakfast time, but the spread was tasty and generous, including scrambled eggs and fried bacon. I’d recommend it for travelers with a car, as long as they don’t expect the latest luxury.

The view from our window was stunning, honestly one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. Reception staff were also really kind and helpful. The room stayed nice and cool thanks to the air conditioning, but it definitely needs renovation and housekeeping was really poor. Breakfast tasted good, though the choices were limited and a bit boring. The biggest drawback was having only plastic cups, no proper glasses. The elevators were a disaster, incredibly slow, the slowest I’ve experienced. I stayed here with my boyfriend for a holiday, and all in all it was a good stay.

As of June 2025, this was a perfect hotel for us. The rooms seem to have been upgraded since earlier reviews: ours was spacious, modern, spotless, and had brilliant air conditioning. The hotel was clean and welcoming, and the reviews really don’t do it justice. The staff were friendly and helpful, even answering our questions about local transport. Breakfast was spot on. I wouldn’t bother with the restaurant because of the prices. We didn’t get a chance to use the pool, but it looked like a nice place to relax.